3 Useful Tips for Job Seekers on LinkedIn

Networking has become a huge part of job searching. Your LinkedIn profile and resume go hand in hand. Actually, your LinkedIn profile is almost as important as your resume when it comes to job search necessities. So, knowing how to leverage your LinkedIn is important. We did some research and found these useful tips on using LinkedIn for your job searching needs.

Customize your LinkedIn URL

LinkedIn makes it very easy to customize your URL. The default URL that LinkedIn provides ends with a string of numbers. The best practice for customizing your URL should look something like this: linkedin.com/yourname, or something similar.

Customizing your URL is beneficial because it makes it easier to find you in searches and helps to boost your credibility. It also has a cleaner look that allows you to easily include it on your resume, cover letter or in an email signature.

Change your LinkedIn profile picture

Unlike Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites, you don’t want to constantly change your profile picture on LinkedIn. You should choose a clear and professional photo of yourself. Take a look at other profiles of people in your industry and dress according to your profession.

Your LinkedIn profile picture is your way of making a positive first impression and the start of optimizing your profile for your network, companies and potential employers. You want to look professional, approachable and of course a friendly smile!

Use a catchy headline

LinkedIn’s default headline is your current job title and employer. Most people stick with that and don’t even think twice about it again. Using your job title as your headline is both redundant and repetitive. Job titles can vary depending on the company and employer. The job title of VP at one company can have the same duties of a Director at another, so there is very little meaning behind it. You are also just repeating yourself since someone can scroll down your profile a bit and find that information just by looking at your work experience.

Your LinkedIn headline should be unique and catchy while portraying your expertise in your field. For example, “Developing the future as a Software Engineer at Amazon”. Not only does this catch the eye of the person looking at your profile, but it also shows that you are creative and can think outside the box.

The result

These 3 useful tips will help you to make a great first impression on companies, recruiters and hiring managers on LinkedIn. You will find that you will get responses and better feedback when reaching out about positions on LinkedIn. The best part, it will only take you about 5-10 minutes to make these small profile changes.

The FMP Contributor

The FMP Contributor is the daily publication of Find My Profession. Your #1 career advice resource.

Why Completing Online Job Applications is a Hassle

If you had a bad day at work and think, “I am going to get a job online now,” first you need to know where to get job applications that do not waste your time. You have to experience what makes completing online job applications such a hassle. Knowing what makes it such a hassle will help you find out if you have the time to get a job online now.

Tell Me About a Time When You Made a Mistake

When an interviewer says, “Tell me about a time when you made a mistake.”, they are not waiting to hear, “I’ve never made a mistake.” To answer that way is a mistake. We all have examples of mistakes made at work. No one is perfect. Employers get this. So, why do they want to know? They are gauging if you know how to deal with difficult questions.

Pros vs Cons: Should You Outsource Your Job Search?

Believe it or not, outsourcing your job search is a real thing. No, no, no. I am not talking about having someone in a foreign country professionally manage your job search. An outsourced job search is: The ability to pay an individual or team of professionals to find you a job.